16 Aldi Breads, Ranked from Worst to Best

Aldi is a great store to visit when you need to stock up on affordably priced and generally decent-quality staple goods. And, honestly there’s nothing more deserving of the title of “staple good” than bread. Sandwich bread is a must-have in a busy household, and it’s a key component of many recipes, including French toast. You might even be surprised by the number of breads that Aldi carries, seeing as how it doesn’t even have an in-store bakery.

As a dedicated Aldi shopper myself, I wanted to see which of the brand’s breads were worth buying. I also wanted to see how its options stood up against other more expensive breads that I’ve tried in the past. With that in mind, I made a trip to my local Aldi and brought home an array of different breads. I stuck to loaves, buns, and flatbreads for this review, though you can see how Aldi’s store-bought bagels and English muffins fared against other grocery store offerings in my other reviews.

Sprouted bread has long been touted as a healthier alternative to regular bread, but I think that sentiment better applies to sprouted bread brands that have it figured out — namely, Ezekiel. As for Simply Nature? I think it that it has some work to do, because this prototype of a bread was downright disgusting.

This stuff is way too dry. When I was eating it, I felt like I was biting through a kitchen sponge. It was grossly under-salted, so much so that I had two bites and had to throw out the rest of the slice. I think part of the problem is that it was frozen, thawed, and forgotten about. It got stale as it sat on the shelf waiting for someone to buy it, and it’s clear that nobody at my local Aldi thought it was good enough to take home … I wonder why.

This bread used to be one of my Aldi faves. The operative word here is “used to,” as whatever I got this time around was definitely a downgrade. This Dave’s Killer Bread knock-off was so dry and stale; it was like the brand had thawed it and then forgotten about it on the shelf. When I’ve gotten it in the past, it’s been soft and slightly sweet, but this one was just plain unpalatable.

While the flavor of this bread was still better than the lower-ranked sprouted bread — mainly because it had a subtle sweetness and featured enough seeds to contrast its otherwise dry texture — I couldn’t get over the fact that Aldi sold me a product that was this stale. I would hope this was fluke, seeing as how this bread has been a consistent favorite of mine over the years.

Hot dog buns are one of few types of bread where structure is more important than taste. If you have a heavy hot dog and a weak bun, you’re more likely to end up with the wiener falling onto your plate — or your lap.

If you’re after structural soundness, this is not the brand of hot dog bun I would recommend picking up. As soon as I cleaved open the top, I noticed that the bottom “hinge” of the bun was already cracking. If I had put any weight on it, let alone a fresh-from-the-grill hot dog or brat, it would have broken the bun into two pieces — effectively rendering it useless. The flavor of this bun was also boring. It was bready and doughy, kind of like a grinder roll. Like some of the lower-ranked options on this list, it didn’t have any redeeming qualities to it — except for the fact that it wasn’t obviously stale. 

I have never once had a craving for L’Oven Fresh Honey Wheat Bread, so I didn’t think that this loaf was going to do well in my ranking — and I was right. While it does have a subtle sweetness to it, which is much appreciated, it was grossly under-salted. Its texture was also so dry that it felt like I was chewing through honey-flavored packing peanuts. There was no subtle wheat flavor to really make it worth using in a sandwich or toasting for a quick breakfast.

Granted, I don’t think toasting it would really improve it, and even if you are a fan of Honey Wheat Bread, you would probably scoff at this Aldi offering. It may have some value in a sandwich where you could disguise its flavor and texture, but there are far better offerings at Aldi that are tastier and more worthy of your deli meat of choice.

Pita wraps are a staple in my home, mainly because I love making falafel wraps or plant-based shawarma using Beyond Steak. But, I hadn’t bought these pita wraps before. And after I cracked one open, I could see why I should always choose a reputable pita brand.

This flatbread was far drier and more stale than a pita should be. It immediately cracked around the edges when I exposed the pocket, which could spell disaster if you were spooning tzatziki or hummus into it. The dryness is also easy to pick up on as you eat it. Granted, most people probably aren’t eating pita wraps without any sort of spread or filling, but the numerous issues with its texture, along with the fact that it is so under-salted, is concerning. I would recommend instead going to your local Mediterranean restaurant and picking up a pack of pitas to take home because this Aldi offering just doesn’t cut it.

Ciabatta is an Italian bread that is supposed to have the perfect balance of chewiness and crispiness. And honestly, these rolls from Specially Selected, Aldi’s premium in-house brand, just fall flat. They’re very soft on the outside and lack that noticeable crunch that ciabatta is famous for. I almost think that if Aldi left the whole “ciabatta” component off the label, I would have been a little more willing to buy into it. There are so many other buzzwords out there, like “artisan,” that would be better alternatives and wouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.

Besides the fact that the texture of these rolls was lacking, I also found that they were, yet again, under-salted. While I think they would be fine if you swiped them with a little butter and garlic and broiled them for a few minutes to get them crispy, or served them with enough chicken salad to distract from their lackluster flavor, I wouldn’t recommend buying them to eat out of hand.

Aldi offers several take-and-bake breads, like this Specially Selected baguette. The instructions note that it should be warmed up in the oven for about five to 10 minutes before being served. However, after sampling it both pre-bake and post-bake, I would argue that you don’t even really need to bake it for it to be passable.

A baguette is supposed to be crunchy and crisp, and that didn’t happen after 10 minutes in the oven. It was drier after this short stint in the oven, sure, but it lacked that signature, crispiness and crunchiness that I’ve come to love about good, artisan-made baguettes. The flavor of the bread itself was fine, and the quick bake in the oven helped remove that doughy flavor. Otherwise, there was nothing special about this bread — and I don’t think you could still pass it off as being a true artisan baguette.

The first thing I noticed about this small-batch Italian loaf was that it had a very interesting smell — almost like it was made using a pre-ferment. It wasn’t as bold or unique as a sourdough, but it was eerily similar to the poolish-based doughs I’ve made in the past. I also think that this element came through in the flavor of the Italian loaf, which was slightly sourdough-like — though a half-hearted attempt at it. However, I think that it did make the flavor a little more interesting and encouraged me to take a few more bites of it. This sour element also enhanced the saltiness of the loaf, which isn’t something that happened with the lower-ranked loaves on this list.

The texture, though, leaves something to be desired. There is a strange disconnect between the dry crust and the slightly soft, almost rye-like mouthfeel of the interior. If it was crispier, I may have ranked it higher on this list.

The L’Oven Fresh 12 Grain Loaf was disappointing, to say the least. I think that a hearty, well-made, granary-style bread can do a lot for a boring sandwich that otherwise lacks texture. But it was very hard to discern what value the 12 grains were actually adding to this loaf. I didn’t get any pronounced wheat undertones, nor did I get robustness from the different seeds. While it was nice to stumble upon the occasional flax seed every few bites, I don’t think that the grains did enough to warrant them being there in the first place.

Structurally speaking, this is a good slice. It has a dry texture, leading me to believe it would be a good fit for making sandwiches in anticipation of a long day at the beach. It can hold up to wet condiments without getting soggy, and though its taste leaves a little something to be desired, I would be willing to overlook its taste in favor of its structure.

I’ve had a lot of fantastic sourdoughs in my short life — and this is not one of them. Though, it’s not that bad, The first thing I noticed when I pulled it out of the bag was that it was cold — which surely meant that Aldi thawed it close to the time that I bought it. Its slices are large and could probably stand to be sliced in half. When I first took a whiff of it, I immediately could pull out those delectable, sour notes.

In short, this bread tastes like grocery-store sourdough. It’s not the artisan stuff that’s made by your neighbor who’s been keeping a starter alive for 10 years. Its flavor falls flat, and while it is indeed sour, it lacks any complexity besides that. I would also prefer that my loaf have a crispier crust; this one is very squishy and spongy. If you were blindfolded, you could probably tell it was sourdough, though I don’t think it’s good enough to warrant adding to your cart.

Hawaiian sweet rolls are, admittedly, not one item that I always have in my bread drawer. I don’t like the flavor of pineapple juice, a common flavoring agent in these rolls, in any capacity, nor do I whip up ham and cheese sliders on the regular. Though, I can see how the subtly sweet flavor of these rolls may be appealing to some eaters.

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: These rolls are no King’s Hawaiian. They lack that same moistness and their sweetness is too subtle. I almost think you could pass them off as potato bread, seeing as how they lack that underlying yeasty and sweet flavor to push them into Hawaiian roll territory. I do think they’re passable — and would probably make fine sliders — but I don’t think this is the best-quality Hawaiian bread that money can buy.

This bread came highly-reviewed, and though I can’t say that it’s the best brioche I’ve ever had, it does hit the spot for a sweet breakfast now and then. The structure of the bread itself is airy and soft, which leads me to believe that it would be a great pairing for French toast, as it could easily soak up the custard and use its subtly sweet flavor to its advantage. While the chocolate is generally concentrated toward the bottom of each slice, there is more than enough chips in every bite.

The brioche aspect was a little disappointing. The bread itself didn’t really have the eggy flavor that I was expecting, so I don’t think it would be my top choice of breads to eat out of hand or toasted and buttered. It’s not a bad bread by any means, but it’s nothing I would regard as being particularly special or life-changing.

The Specially Selected Brioche Loaf is a great find at Aldi based on price alone. But its flavor, I’ll admit, was mediocre. It is super porous, which would make it a great fit for soaking up custard for French toast. Like the lower-ranked chocolate chip variety, this bread boasted a nice yellow hue, though its dryness is a bit concerning. I also couldn’t pinpoint that eggy flavor that would really make it worth eating and send it into brioche territory.

The only reason this brioche ranked above the chocolate chip variety is because it’s a little more versatile. I could foresee using it for a savory French toast or trying to make a grilled cheese with it — especially if you paired it with rich Gruyère and some Dijon mustard. But, it’s far from the best bread on this list — even among the sandwich bread options.

I rarely ever pick up a loaf of rye from the store, but the next time I need something for a classic Reuben sandwich (and don’t want to spend a ton), Aldi is the first place I’ll look. Unlike the other breads, which smelled like nothing, this loaf was incredibly fragrant. It has a beautiful chestnut-colored swirl in the center and is relatively thinly-sliced. I think the bread should complement but not dominate a sandwich, so I can appreciate the thinness of these slices.

The pieces are speckled with seeds, and the lightly anise flavor of the caraway comes through well. I like that it’s not a super oppressive or foreboding flavor; it adds just enough excitement to the sandwich and helps distract from its otherwise bland flavor. This loaf is not as under-salted as some of the other varieties on this list, and combined with its punchy flavor and relative freshness, it was a favorite of mine for sure. But, it lacks the universal appeal of my two favorite breads on this list.

The big issue across the board with the Aldi’s bread isn’t the taste — it’s the texture. For the most part, the breads struggled to have the signature crispy crust that you would look for in a ciabatta or an Italian loaf. Though this artisan-style bread from L’Oven Fresh absolutely hit the nail on the head. It’s delightfully soft, so soft that it feels as if you’re biting into a cloud. And for the most part, that’s what sandwich bread should be. This one was super fresh and was practically begging me to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with it.

I think that this softness could spell problems for making sandwiches ahead of time, as it doesn’t strike me as being robust enough to stave off the inevitable sogginess. I also don’t think it would be a great pick for French toast, as it doesn’t feel like it’s porous enough to soak up custard. But if I needed a sandwich this instant, I would want to have this bread in my drawer.

I like to buy breads from the grocery store that I can’t make at home, so naan is one that I almost always buy. This flatbread from Specially Selected comes in two sizes — this large one and a mini version — and in two flavors: the original that I sampled for this review and garlic.

There is some blistering on the exterior of this flatbread, suggesting that it was indeed made in a tandoor. Though it lacks that charred flavor that I wanted. As I ate it, I could pick up on its slightly buttery profile — and that pleasant, slightly-oily mouthfeel that went along with it. While the flatbread itself had enough give to suggest it was made with ingredients like yogurt and butter, it was still dry enough to warrant being used to sop up a curry.

Do I think that this naan will replace the one you get from your favorite Indian takeout joint? Of course not. But, it’s buttery and flavorful enough to still be dynamic, which pushed it upwards in the ranking. I will be picking up its garlic naan the next time I visit my local Aldi and using it for everything from pizza to toast.

In order to fairly rank these selections from worst to best, I bought and sampled all the breads on the same day — assuming that they were all at their peak freshness. As I sampled each bread straight from the bag — no topping or toasting (unless it was explicitly instructed on the bag, like for the baguette). 

As I ate each product, I considered the overall flavor, texture, and versatility of the bread. From a functional angle, the bread should be able to do its job — whether that’s holding a hot dog, supporting a sandwich, or sopping up sauce. It should also have a well-balanced flavor, with a wheat profile and the perfect level of salt. If a bread could do its job effectively and taste great, it ranked highly on this list. Loaves that could only be used for one thing, like for French toast but not sandwiches, lost points in the utility category and ranked lower.